The present invention relates to a fluid-cushion supporting arrangement for horizontal conveyance. More particularly, it relates to a fluid-cushion supporting arrangement for horizontal conveyance with high fluid pressure and controltechnological stabilization, suitable for assembly conveyance of heavy loads and respectively high slender bodies on slide tracks.
Horizontal conveyance of loads with the aid of conveying means supported by fluid cushions is known in the art. The principal advantage of this conveyance is a low friction between a base surface and a conveying means, which makes possible easy displacement of the latter. The distance between the base surface and the fluid-cushion supporting arrangement must be less than 1 mm. This condition is satisfied with completely plane slide tracks adjusted with high accuracy. The known fluid-cushion supporting arrangements have, however, considerable leakage losses of the fluid medium and thereby high energy losses and environmental loads. These disadvantages are reduced by sealing pistons or inflatable sealing elements composed of an elastic material and arranged in the marginal zone of the fluid pressure chamber. It is known that the fluid is admitted to the sealing pistons via separate air control systems and acts for the respective adjustment region with the equivalent prestressing force sealingly toward the slide tracks. This solution which has an expensive construction possesses the disadvantage that a continuous reduction of the applied control pressure in dependence on the hovering height is not possible.
Another known arrangement makes use of several piston seals for control and fixedly adjusted pressure throttling valves for the respective pressure region. They also exclude continuous pressure reduction with increase of the hovering weight. In this arrangement the sealing gap between the sealing piston and slide track may be, however, pressure controlled only from outside by the respective adjustment more or less irregularly. All inflatable torus sealing sliders of the known air-cushion constructions are in direct connection with the pressure chamber under the supporting plate. The hovering height of these platforms is adjusted in correspondence with the respective cushion pressure, designed variable and not controllable.